Final Extension

Although I initially enjoyed my current assignment, after extending 3 times (for a total of 9 months), I knew it was time for a change. I needed a change in scenery both state-wise and job-wise.

The site asked if I was interested in another extension. I kindly declined and told them I was ready for a change. They hired a physician to take over my patient panel and would like for me to stay an extra 3 months to help transition my panel over to the new physician.

The Medical Director set up a meeting with me titled “What Can We Do to Keep You Longer?” She wanted to respect my wishes to move on but also to make me feel like I was appreciated. She offered me her first and second born children as a joke. She even offered me to house-sit while she went on vacation (she has a beautiful home on the lake with kayaks and jet skis etc.).

Although I knew I was ready to leave, I spent several weeks with an inner turmoil contemplating what I should do. There are normally 4 PCP’s in my clinic, one of them was approaching maternity leave, while another one was having surgery in the upcoming weeks. I felt guilty knowing 1 PCP would be all-alone in the clinic if I were to leave. When 1 PCP is out, it’s manageable. When 2 PCP’s are out it’s a disaster. Think about the walk-ins, phone messages, medication refills, reading of PT/INRs, and paperwork that needs to be completed.

I also thought about my patient panel. When I had taken over for their previous PCP, the patients had been pretty neglected for a few months since their previous PCP had gone on sick leave. I thought about the connections I had formed with these patients since they come to the clinic at least on a monthly basis. I thought about how far these patients had come after first meeting them. The uncontrolled hypertensions now well controlled, improved diabetic A1cs, resolved heart failures, controlled depression, weaning them off their opioid dependencies, and encouraging health screenings to help with early detection of newly diagnosed cancers.

My patience and level of contentment were starting to decline, as I became blasé with this routine lifestyle. The cure to this was to move onto another assignment. But for the reasons above I knew that I had to stay. Another 3 months wouldn’t kill anyone right?

In return for my final extension the site offered me a $5000 bonus. This is equivalent to an extra $10/h over 3 months. They also agreed that I did not have to continue seeing new patients, and can focus on my current patient panel since they are already very complex. The agency I work for offered me an extra round trip flight home and proactive licensing in other states.

The site is hoping when I am doing with this final extension, that I will help them open their new clinics in Florida.